


Overprotective Father(figure)s

by YunaYamiMouto



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Edith, BAMF Jarvis (Iron Man movies), BAMF Stephen Strange, BAMF Tony Stark, Can be seen as IronStrange, Canonical Character Death, Comic Book Science, Doesn't work out for him, Dramatic Tony Stark, F/M, Gen, Ghosts, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Peter Parker, If You Squint - Freeform, Infinity Gems, Iron Man references, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) Lives, M/M, Magic, Manipulative Quentin Beck, Nightmare patient Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Pirates of the Caribbean References, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Protective Stephen Strange, Protective Tony Stark, Quentin Beck Being a Jerk, Sass all around, Sherlock (TV) References, Skrull(s), Some happier than others, Sort Of, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie), Stephen Strange does not have time for your bullshit, Temporary Character Death, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony stark takes no bullshit, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Villain Quentin Beck, and snark, asskicking, he gets one, holograms, maybe? - Freeform, series of unconnected oneshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25842184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunaYamiMouto/pseuds/YunaYamiMouto
Summary: When Fury tries to convince Peter that he was the only Avenger available to fight the 'Elementals' with Beck, Peter pulls a Tony Stark and dials the private number of a certain Sorcerer Supreme that he KNOWS will be answered. The results of that call are not what anyone expected.
Relationships: Edith & Peter Parker, Happy Hogan & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Infinity Stones & Tony Stark, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) & Tony Stark, Maria Hill & Tony Stark, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Nick Fury & Maria Hill, Nick Fury & Peter Parker, Nick Fury & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Quentin Beck & Nick Fury, Quentin Beck & Peter Parker, Tony Stark & Stark Robots, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 94
Kudos: 766
Collections: Tonystarkpeterparker1





	1. Scenario #1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted the day after I watched Spider-Man: Far From Home in the cinema, inspired by the idea of how Mysterio would react if he were to meet a REAL sorcere with REAL magic.
> 
> Here's the original Author's Note:  
> Hi! I literally just watched Spider-Man: Far From Home only yesterday and several ideas immediately popped into my mind, mostly about just how interesting it would be for Mysterio to meet an actual fucking sorcerer and who better than Doctor Strange, right? I came up with several interesting (at least to me) ideas and I am not at all ashamed to say that most of them are fix-it sort of ideas. Anyone who knows my style regarding MARVEL's Avengers knows that I tend to try and fix Endgame a bit. I cried like a baby for twenty minutes because of that movie, so please excuse my need to comfort myself. Iron Man was my favorite character and despite how much I bash the other original Avengers in my stories, I really like them all and was sad to see Natasha and Cap go. Still not as bad as Tony but enough about that. This is a Spider-Man: Far From Home story with a sort of fix-it. Peter, the poor little cutie, deserves to stop hurting because of Tony's death and some of the things Fury said to him really pissed me off. We'll see how ballsy he is when there are overprotective, highly intelligent, sarcastic and highly dangerous superheroes staring him down. And fuck Beck, too! How dare he hurt Peter!? We'll see how brave he is when facing off against the rest of Team Giant Flying Space Donut. So here's a series of one shots about how I think MCU could have done it better - for the sake of all our hears and souls, anyway.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it and please excuse my rant!
> 
> (Sorry for my laziness in simply copying the original note, but I felt that it described my feelings the best from when I wrote this story.)

If he were to say he wasn't overwhelmed with what was happening and what he was being told this very instant, Peter Parker would be the biggest lair in the universe and he always did his best not to lie because he was a nice kid and he'd disappoint Aunt May and Mr Stark if he changed that. Sure, just a couple of years ago - or more like seven, if you count the 'Blip' period of five years - he would have gladly accepted this responsibility because he would have known he wasn't going into it alone. Mr Stark - _Iron Man_ \- would have had his back, would have watched over him like the mentor he was to him, but now? Now, Tony was gone and his absence hurt more than anything Peter could explain and he didn't want to deal with what Fury was trying to shove onto his shoulders. Mr Stark had always been willing to just let him be the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as long as he kept out of danger or at least warned him about a bigger threat. Mr Fury didn't seem nearly as inclined to give him that courtesy.

So he was desperately trying to get out of this crazy situation and go back to his vacation, only for Fury to remain stubbornly stuck on the idea of it being _him_ that works with Mr Beck - who really _does_ look like Iron Man and Thor _and_ Doctor Strange rolled into one and not in the best of ways - because, and he's totally quoting Fury on this, "Bitch, please, you've been to space." Which was _totally_ an accident and Mr Stark had nearly had a heart attack about it and Peter still felt like crap for putting his mentor through that, but Fury and the rest of his black dressed gang wasn't listening.

"Sir, come on. There's gotta be someone else you can use. What about Thor?" He suggested hopefully, knowing this was right up the thunder god's alley. He'd probably get along great with Mr Mysterio and they can exchange stories about their dead families and destroyed worlds _aaand_ maybe he's been spending too much time around MJ because that was _dark_. But he figures he deserves the right to be a bit bitter his touring of Europe's been trampled on because the former Director of SHIELD decided a _teenager_ was his best bet in a possibly world ending situation. And only eight months after losing his father figure- his mentor. He's still trying to cope and it seems like he's picked up Tony's unhealthy coping mechanisms and he wasn't willing to even try to change that because that and the glasses are apparently the only things he has left of Mr Stark besides the Spider-Man suits the man has made for him. So screw Fury if he thought he's going to ruin this trip for him, the first thing that managed to take his mind somewhat away from his grief.

"Off world," the black dressed man replied casually, not offering any more explanation as to why he's not _calling_ him when they _have_ a means to reach the Guardians of the Galaxy. Peter frowned at that but fired off the next name immediately.

"Okay, um, Doctor Strange?"

"Unavailable," came just as casual a response but Peter sensed some irritation in the undertones, which made him pause, stopping Captain Marvel's name on the tip of his tongue. He studied Mr Fury and Ms Hill for a moment before he had to restrain a giggle. Oh, he _knew_ why Dr Strange was unavailable. It would seem he wasn't the only one ghosting Mr Fury, only Doctor Strange was doing it _much_ better. To be expected, what with his magic. And it was just the kind of thing Doctor Strange would do, knowing he was annoying one of the most paranoid people in the world.

He must not have hid his amusement well enough because everyone was staring at him intensely, but he ignored them, reaching into his pocket for his phone. Now that he thought about it, hadn't Doctor Strange said he was in charge of protecting the multiverse or something? The man had never gone into detail about it, but Peter knew this was the sorcerer's specialty. Which is why it worried Peter that he wasn't the one responding to these Elementals or that it appeared as though ordinary humans - not counting Mr Beck - had found out about it before the Master of the Mystic Arts who had stood up to Thanos with four Infinity Stones on his own and been pretty darn close to winning. He ignored how the rest were judging him for paying attention to his phone when they were talking about possible world annihilation - like any of _them_ had the room to talk! He'd been on the front lines himself and he's just a teenager! He's the seasoned one where nonsense like this is concerned - and instead focused on sending a text to the overprotective and overly guilty sorcerer.

Ever since the final battle where Mr Stark sacrificed himself for the universe and since the funeral, Doctor Strange had been doing his best to look out for Peter and had been trying to help him through his grief. It had taken Peter a month just to _look_ at his suit, let alone wear it and be Spider-Man again. No one seemed to understand what he'd been going through, but then Doctor Strange portaled straight into his living room one day and they talked and Peter found _someone_ who actually _understood_. Going to space, Titan, turning to dust, coming back to an even bigger and riskier fight, winning and its cost ...

Loosing Tony ...

Doctor Strange explained it had ultimately been him who had sent Mr Stark to his death but Peter couldn't find it in himself to hate the man or be angry at him because, if he hadn't wanted or been ready to do it, Peter knew his mentor wouldn't have, would have tried finding another way. But the truth was, Tony had been ready to die for Earth, for the _universe_ since 2012, since New York. Mr Stark had always known that was how his story was going to end. He told that to Doctor Strange and then they both cried silently for a lost friend and hero and that's how their weekly sessions of mourning started, then it turned into coping sessions and they somehow became proper friends and teammates. So Peter _knew_ , without a doubt, that Doctor Strange will respond to him if he calls.

_To: Doctor Wizard_

_From: Peter Parker_

_Message: Hey, Dr Strange. Could you maybe help with a situation in Venice, Italy, with some crazy Elementals that are from another universe and are trying to destroy the planet? We, like, need help right now. Call me when you can and thanks in advance._

_PP_

"Are you done?" Fury's voice startled the young hero and he nearly dropped his phone had it not been for his enhanced reflexes enabling him to catch it at the last second. "We're kind of having a situation right here," the man gestured around the room and arched his good eye's brow at the boy, who kept opening and closing his mouth in a failed attempt at responding. "Maybe you're not cut out for this. Maybe Stark was wrong and you should just go bac-"

He was cut off by a sparkling circle suddenly opening a few feet away, the men around them all reaching for their guns and pointing them at the man in blue robes and a red bellowing cape that casually stepped through the portal like he owned the place, not in the least bit intimidated or bothered by the weapons aimed at him. Then again, Peter knew Doctor Stephen Strange had nothing to fear of guns. His magical shields can repel the power of the Infinity Stones so what were a few measly bullets for him. And even if he couldn't react fast enough to defend himself, his Cloak of Levitation was and will, the overprotective piece of outerwear that it was. Doctor Strange had nothing to worry about. He just looked around, blue-green-gray eyes sweeping the room until they fell on Peter and the sorcerer focused on him, approaching him without hesitation. Peter saw out of the corner of his vision as Mr Beck shifted uncomfortably not that far away and as Mr Fury signaled everyone to lower their weapons. Probably for the best because Peter could see how aggressively the Cloak was holding itself around its chosen master's shoulders. It was ready to bash some heads in or strangle people if someone so much as breathed wrong in the Sorcerer Supreme's direction.

Not that Peter could say he was surprised, judging on what he was seeing. Said Sorcerer Supreme looked dead tired on his feet with huge dark bags under his eyes and a sheen of sweat on his forehead. His stride might be steady and he might be holding himself as strong as always but Peter could just make out the minute tremors of his scarred hands, even through those silly yellow gloves he wore. Still, there was a ... cheery vibe to him despite his tired state and his lips pulled into the most genuine and elated smile Peter had ever seen on the man in the time that he had known him. There was a gleam, a light in his unique eyes that, for reasons unknown, had Peter himself vibrating in excitement. Which made no sense as there was nothing to be excited about. The world was in danger and they kind of needed Stephen's help to save it. That's kind of why Peter had called him. That didn't stop the man's good mood from partially affecting the teen, also stirring his natural curiosity as to what had caused this change. He could use some good news.

"Peter-" Doctor Strange began when he was just a few steps away from the teen, only to be cut off by Fury.

"Are you telling me you'll answer to a _random teenager_ but _not_ to a man who would call you to discuss world ending threats?" The man sounded well and truly perplexed and Peter couldn't help but blush at how that sounded. Doctor Strange, though, only arched an eyebrow in a way Peter well recognized. Judging by Mr Fury's and Ms Hill's paling complexions, so did they.

"This _random teenager_ helped save the world and I _know_ he won't abuse having my personal cell number for his own entertainment or goals." Which was only partially true, since Peter _hand_ rung up the sorcerer a couple of times for help in getting to school on time seeing as he'd spent a long night out patrolling New York. "And world ending threats? You honestly think _you_ will know about them before _I_ do? Just where _were_ you when Thanos attacked? Definitely not trying to lure him away from Earth and fighting with your life on the line to keep it safe. When you _do_ do something of that nature or magnitude, you can call me."

"Are you telling me there's _another_ one?" Ms Hill groaned and Peter didn't know whether he should be offended on the behalf of his mentor or amused with their reaction to how similar Mr Stark and Doctor Strange are one to another. It had certainly been an entertaining voyage to Titan with those two around.

"You're rather arrogant to think yourself above a threat like this," Mr Beck drew Doctor Strange's attention to himself by scoffing, arms crossed over his chest as he gave the sorcerer a once over. Peter wasn't sure why, but he bristled as much as the Cloak of Levitation did on Doctor Strange's behalf when Mysterio looked up to the sorcerer's eyes with an expression that spelled out he found the man wanting. Doctor Strange, in his seemingly infinite patience, just arched an eyebrow at him as though he were crazy.

" _What_ threat? The threat of you lot wasting my and Peter's time? And just who are _you_ supposed to be? A crossover of Tony, Thor and myself? Because if that's the case, I find you both unoriginal and lacking in all three impersonations." He paused, studying the attire of the now glaring Mr Beck for a moment before looking back to the man himself, unimpressed. "Aren't you that fishbowl dude I saw on TV this afternoon? The one fighting imaginary monsters?"

"Fishbowl!?" The offended man squawked, looking ready to get in a magical brawl with the sorcerer-

"Imaginary?" Fury and Peter asked at the same time, suspicious and incredulous respectively. "And how would you know they are _imaginary_? You haven't even seen them up close."

Stephen huffed, crossing his arms in a clearly annoyed manner. "Because, _one_ , the Elementals are peaceful beings who live in their own dimension that is almost completely out of touch with any other and they send out their influences through the multiverse but never directly interfere or show themselves to anyone and, _two_ , if they or any other extradimensional _or_ extraterrestrial being were to come to Earth, _I_ would be the first one to sense their presence. As Sorcerer Supreme, it is my sworn duty to protect the Earth and the reality we live in. In order to be able to successfully do my job, I have to have a way of learning of possible threats. The Elementals, even if they _were_ to come to Earth, would not be a threat. They'd come in the form of crystals with their powers locked away and would be unresponsive to anyone but the Sorcerer Supreme's energy signature. Therefore, whatever it is that you're 'fighting', it's not the Elementals."

"My world's science division had a technical name for them. We just _called_ them Elementals because it's easier to pronounce in battle," Mr Beck was quick to remind but Doctor Strange didn't look particularly impressed.

"Oh? And what might _your_ world be? The psych ward?"

"Earth 833," grit out the other man, glaring daggers at the sorcerer now while everyone else watched with interest, not sure what to make of this.

Strange hummed under his breath, a finger tapping against his forearm. "Really now? And why are you here?"

"Because the Elementals destroyed my world and I want to prevent the same from happening here. So you either _help_ ," and Beck spat out the word before pointing to the still open portal, showing what Peter recognized to be the New York Sanctum's library. From the angle they were looking through, it was obvious someone was resting on the couch, covered by an old duvet blanket with their feet not quite reaching the other armrest of the old, dark olive green couch. "Or go back where you came from."

" _Really_ now?" Doctor Strange repeated and started floating in the air, crossing his legs until he was in the usual meditating position, eyebrow arched so high it nearly disappeared under his loose bangs that Doctor Strange liked to make move around with magic for dramatic effect and an air of mystery and power. It worked, as always, and only made him sound even more doubtful of Beck's story.

"Yes," came the growled response but the sorcerer paid it no heed.

"Because from what _I_ know of Earth 833 - and I _do_ have the power to gaze into the multiverse, Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone or not - it doesn't exist anymore. Hasn't been since 2014, when Ultron succeeded in killing Tony Stark before the confrontation in Sokovia and as such succeeded in dropping the city. It not only killed all organic life, as had been his intention, but it had also destabilized Earth's core, which resulted in the planet soon after falling apart. Wherever it is you're from, it most _definitely_ is _not_ from Earth 833 or any _other_ alternate universe. Trust me, I should know. I viewed them all."

And while they all gawked at him or turned suspicious glares at Mr Beck, rustling and movement caught Peter's enhanced senses' attention, making him look towards the portal, only to gasp as a wounded animal. That brought everyone else's attention to him and then to the direction he was looking in, resulting in a round of gasps, scrambling backwards in fright, wide open eyes and hanging open mouths. Doctor Strange, though, only cursed as he rushed towards the staggering figure, steadying the man before he could get well acquainted with the floor.

"Tony, I _told_ you that you needed to _stay in bed_ for a few hours! You've practically been dead for the past eight months! Keeping your body semi-alive doesn't mean it had been kept properly _active_! Your muscles aren't strong enough to hold you up-"

"Oh, chill out, Doc. I'm _fine_ ," the all too familiar voice said, though it came out rough and raspy from disuse and Peter felt his heartbeat hitch. This couldn't be real. It _had_ to be a dream. How was this even _possible_? There was no way Mr Stark was actually _here_ ... right? The man leaning on Doctor Strange looked real enough, though. But _how_? "You and your hocus pocus have done their job spectacularly. I just need to work out some to get my muscle mass back in functioning order. And it's all _your_ fault that I'm awake and out of 'bed', if you can call that dingy couch a good place for bed-rest. You shouldn't have been so loud and I would have remained asleep. Talk about _waking the dead_ , am I right?" When there was no other reaction than Doctor Strange glaring at him, Mr Stark gave an awkward smile. "Too soon?"

And it was such a Mr Stark thing to do that a hinged giggle escaped Peter, drawing those impossible honey colored eyes to Spider-Man. Something in him shriveled and died at the same time an insane warmth spread through him as well as an until then unnoticed weight fell off of his shoulders when Tony smiled at him, offering him a small wave with his fingers.

"Hey, kid! Looking good! Why aren't you wearing the Iron Spider suit? How's Aunt Hottie?" He then looked further around the room, smirking at the stunned Ms Hill and Mr Fury. "Maria, Nick, a pleasure as always. What? Did you _honestly_ think you're the only one who can come back from the dead? Although I guess my case was quite a bit more literal, but oh well. It's not like it's the _first_ time this has happened, is it? I mean, I _am_ kind of used to this. _I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a greater phoenix metaphor been personified in human history_. Although I am. God, can you believe how spot-on I've been with that line? How many times has it been in the past fifteen years? Hey, do you have some water because I'm perched. I'm so dehydrated that I feel like I've just returned from space with Nebs. Thanks," he says when a black dressed person listlessly hands over a bottle of water, all of them still staring at the should-be-dead-but-isn't genius as he drank half of it in one go. "Gosh, that feels great. Hey, Doc, can we sit down? Because I want to sit down ... Make it more ... personal ... "

"You need to stop quoting yourself, Stark," Fury finally said, voice tight and barely there as he gazed upon a lost friend, having to swallow thickly when Tony smiled at him.

"But who better to quote!"

"Oh my god!" Peter finally said in a rush, practically teleporting to where Doctor Strange had magicked a comfy armchair for the man to sit in, all but ending up in his mentor's lap as he wrapped his arms around the man in a desperate hug that he was still conscious enough not to make painful by squeezing too hard. "You're really here! It's not a dream! Mr Stark ... Tony! I missed you so much, please don't leave or die ever again because everyone was so sad and I didn't really know what to do anymore and the whole world is in mourning and-" He cut himself off as soon as familiar arms wrapped weakly around him, choking on his own sob, only now realizing there were tears running down his face. Probably snot, too, but Tony didn't care as he hugged the boy close so Peter didn't either. He'll apologize later.

"It's good to see you, too, kid." The warmth in his voice was undeniable and Hill had to look away as she wiped away a single tear that threatened to escape her iron control. Stephen just smiled at the two's reunion, having had a similar one himself just hours prior.

"You're supposed to be dead!" They all looked up, startled out of the tender moment, when Mysterio practically screeched in hysteria, staring at Stark with wide, terrified, _hateful_ eyes. "How are you alive?!"

"Oh, well, turns out death by Infinity Stones isn't a permanent thing, more like a near-death coma. The longer the Infinity Stones stay near the body of their wielder, the faster the body heals and the sooner the person can come back from the Soul Stone. So death by them is pretty much like a ... _mystical_ _vacation_ you don't remember," the genius replied, arms still full of Peter but he tried to look around the teen to the person who posed the question. "It's not medically or spiritually detectable unless you've had direct contact with an Infinity Stone before, which is apparently why only Stephen noticed, but it's a matter of proximity so he noticed only during my service while he was saying goodbye."

Peter had been there to see that goodbye, as he and Aunt May had been next in line to have a private moment with the body. He had seen Doctor Strange's shaking shoulders as the man bent over and touched his forehead to Mr Stark's before jolting away. The reaction had been, for the lack of a better word, strange, but he had been too deep in his own grief to question it, or the lack of tears as the funeral came to a close. Or the fact that no one was there to see the coffin being placed into the ground and covered with dirt. They had all just watched Mr Stark's first Arc Reactor, the one engraved 'Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart', being placed in a bed of flowers and left to drift away on the lake next to Mr Stark's and Ms Potts' home.

"Did anyone else know?"

"I told Pepper," Strange confessed, looking a little guilty for not telling Peter. "We agreed not to tell anyone else since there was no guarantee he'll ever really come back. We had to keep him in the Sanctum while he recovers because the flow of magic there is much smoother, something he desperately needed after the other Infinity Stones were returned back to their right timelines. _Our_ Infinity Stones still exist in our universe and timeline, but they're scattered atoms at best. However, they _will_ congregate to do what they always do and repair the damage done to their last wielder, which, technically, still is Tony, no matter which version he wielded. He woke up a few hours ago and has been resting since. Pepper is still the only one who knows. I imagine that won't stay the case for very long, but, oh well. The world will always need Iron Man, right?"

"Wait, are you saying that the Infinity Stones are _reforming_ themselves in your sanctuary?" Fury asked and Doctor Strange tsked.

" _Sanctum_ but yes, they are."

"There's still a possibility to get Vision back," Tony said with a smile and Peter couldn't help but laugh, finally getting off of his mentor. "Maybe even Nat, too. We'll have to work something out." Brown eyes twinkled when Mr Fury and Ms Hill just shook their heads at him.

"It's good to have you back, Tony," Hill said with a smile and Tony returned it, his eyes sliding over to Mr Beck finally and staying there, furrowing.

"Do I know you?" Quentin glares daggers at Tony. "Ah, yeah, that glare looks familiar. And not just familiar in the sense of this-is-the-general-let's-blame-our-evil-ways-on-Tony-Stark-for-even-existing sort of way, but in the I've-seen-it-being-directed-at-me-by-you sort of way. Have we met? Maybe the New Years party in Bern, 2000? No? Had to check because that's where Killian's from. Uhm, my dad didn't kick off your dad from some super duper project like the Arc Reactor, did he? No, that was just Vanko."

"Seriously!? You don't even recognize my face!?" Beck glared at Mr Stark even harder when he didn't flinch at the yelling. "I worked for you! You fired me!"

"If that's the attitude you had back then, it's probably a good thing I did-"

"You stole my invention, my life's work, decided to use it for _therapy_ reasons and named it after _puke_!"

"Ah, _now_ I remember you!" Mr Stark crowed, cutting off Mr Beck before he can spiral even more into a rant. "You're that Beckett guy, the one who wanted to turn BARF into a weapon for the military!"

"My _name_ is Quentin _Beck_!"

"You sure? Because you sure do remind me of that short staff Lord Beckett that hates _Captain_ Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean, the books and the second and third movie squeal. You know, the guy that wanted to take all of Sparrow's glory for himself despite it being Sparrow that was the brains behind finding that lost golden city or whatever and wanting to use slaves or wanting to get Sparrow to do something he swore he'll never do by shipping slaves? Yeah, you sound just like him. _Especially_ since I said I will _never_ make weapons _again_." Mr Stark's voice had gone cold in a way Peter had never heard it and he shifted in unease as the two men argued and the truth behind Beck's illusion started crumbling apart. "The holograms were never your invention, Beck. I've had them since before 2000. You were only one of the many employees I assigned to help me make it into practically a virtual reality. The specs were mine, it was up to you to improve them or just build them because, despite what the rest of the world may think, I _am_ a very busy man and I can't spend all my time stuck in my lab, no matter how much I sometimes want to. I fired you when you tried to go behind my back and sell it under your own name when it was patented as a Stark Industries project-"

"It _is_ my invention! It was _my_ idea-"

"To mount _my_ projectors on _my_ drones to make the hologram mobile outside of a closed space," Mr Stark countered once again, all vulnerability and possible weakness or tiredness gone from his voice. He even crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat and looking like he had just woken from an impromptu nap than like he had been _dead_ for eight months. Or in an Infinity Stones death-like induced come, apparently. "A good idea, but nothing particularly revolutionary. Are you behind the destruction in Venice? Who else is working with you?"

"Maybe I just have real superpowers," Beck snapped back and the resident genius inventor rolled his eyes. Never has an eye roll looked so perfect in Peter's opinion.

"Yeah, you're the first person to have the superpower of spewing bullshit. That's it, I'm done. I'm tired and I want to see my girls and hang out with Steph and the kid in my lab, put on some AC/DC and chill for a while before I announce my not-dead state to the world. EDITH?" He spoke even as nanobots surged from his Arc Reactor casing on his chest to form identical glasses to the ones he had left for Peter, the lenses lighting up with a familiar blue glow. "Protocol shut down. Find all Stark Industries drones and bring 'em around. Disable all found around them and inform the authorities. We're done here."

"Right away, Mr Stark," the AI chirped at her creator and Beck snarled in rage, lunging for the engineer. Doctor Strange caught him with magic and held him in place before he could reach the revived hero, glaring death at the fraud. Tony didn't even blink. He just clambered unsteadily to his feet and accepted the Cloak's help when it wrapped around his shoulders to keep him upright.

"Kid, enjoy your trip. Get the girl. All that shit. Come visit when you get back. Fury, don't annoy my kid or I'll annoy you. Coming, Doc?"

Peter just watched the two go with a light heart and a huge smile on his face. He passed by Beck without a second glance and shot a peace sign to the two former agents of SHIELD and their accomplices, excitedly swinging around Venice back to their little dingy hotel. He couldn't _wait_ to get back to New York, knowing Mr Stark was back and waiting for him and his tales. The world was about to be taken by storm with the return of Iron Man and Peter couldn't be happier.

But for now ...

Eifle Tower, here he comes!


	2. Scenario #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's the second thing I would have loved to see happen! Hope you enjoyed the first one and this one and any next that may come!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back In Black by AC/DC ;)

The battle at the Tower Bridge was a mess and Peter wasn't sure what he should do. The drones were everywhere and making a mess and he didn't know how to contain it all. His friends were in danger just because of knowing what he did and it was all his fault for handing over the EDITH glasses to Beck, for being so easily manipulated, for doubting Mr Stark's faith in him.

But despite all that, knowing it was all his fault, he was sort of glad for all of this happening. He _needed_ something to take his mind off of Mr Stark's death and his mourning and perhaps the trip to Europe wouldn't have been enough. Don't get him wrong, he hated all of this was happening, but he desperately needed a distraction. He only wished it had come in a much less dangerous manner. He only wished he wasn't tarnishing his mentor's memory with his behavior and how such a precious gift and sign of faith and trust was being misused.

Because, _even dead, Mr Stark is still the hero_. EDITH's acronym is perfect for Mr Stark and Peter hated the thought that something _his_ hero and somewhat, pseudo father figure slash mentor had created to do _good_ was being used to hurt all these people and destroy cities. Beck had gone way out of line just to get a place in the spotlight and Peter didn't even know why the man was doing all of this. Didn't he know just how _tough_ a hero's life was? Mr Happy was right. Tony was a mess. He made mistakes, he drove himself crazy trying to rectify them, to prevent others from making the same mistakes. He had given his _life_ to protect the Earth, the _universe_. Because that's what heroes do. They give his or her life up for something greater than them, they leave a _legacy_ behind for future generations.

Quentin Beck isn't the type of man to do that.

Mr Stark was. Even before Iron Man, he was trying to pace the road for future generations. _Not_ in an entirely too healthy way, but Mr Stark had changed and evolved and his own pain had been the key. Beck didn't know how to turn any sort of pain into a thing of good. Whatever his reasons for doing all of this, they weren't a worthy excuse for endangering so many people.

And it was up to Peter to stop him.

Easier said than done when Beck seems to have called upon a whole _army_ of those drones and they weren't some cheap knockoffs or anything. Peter can recognize SI quality when he sees it and the drones matched the one EDITH had sent to nearly kill Brad the other day. Those things weren't going to be so easy to destroy. He managed to trash a few of them, but they just kept coming back, and with reinforcements. Good thing was not all drones were in on the fight, since they were still pretty much trying to keep up the lie Beck was telling the world about how he was some noble hero trying to save them from these fake 'Elementals', and others were flying around close by to protect the rest of the drones that Peter hadn't trashed. Usually, he wouldn't have a problem with dealing with them, despite the numbers, but he was still healing from Beck's last attack and he was getting even more battered by the second in this fight and that wasn't even mentioning his panic regarding his friends.

He was running out of time. They may be hiding in the Crown Jewels vault, but that won't keep _Tony Stark's killer drones_ out for long. Mr Stark was too good at his job for a little safe, even the safest one in the world, to keep his inventions meant to help save it out. Which would have been great in any other scenario, except those same drones were hunting Mr Happy and Peter's friends.

 _'Why can't I have_ one _normal school field trip?'_ Peter wondered even as he webbed two drones together and swung them around, trying to take down as many others as he can while simultaneously avoiding any incoming attacks from the others. EDITH was just as advanced, if not even more so than KAREN and Peter's helper AI wasn't installed in the suit he'd made on the flight to London. Heavens, he wished he had KAREN here. Or the Iron Spider suit. Yep, Kill Mode would have definitely been damn useful right now. If it can get him halfway through Thanos' army while guarding the Iron Gauntlet, then it could definitely deal with the drones. But, unfortunately, Peter had refused to take it with him so Aunt May had packed the suit she _knew_ how to pack. The Iron Spider suit was kind of way out of her league. Sometimes not even Peter quite understood it and he had instructions and a helper AI!

He was forced to focus back on the battle when a squadron of drones nearly took his head off had it not been for his 'Peter Tingle', as everyone insisted on calling it. It still wasn't up to the level he would have liked - he blamed Thanos and Titan and all that portaling around with Doctor Strange that _totally_ messed up his sense of direction and even his grief - but it sure was wicked handy all the same. Besides, maybe he should stop relying on all his other senses when it's clear they're being deceived, from his eyesight to his hearing. This technology was definitely Mr Stark's and it reminded Peter of BARF in a sense, only a lot more violent and more military oriented, something Mr Stark would never participate in. Maybe someone stole his specks or the drones themselves and hacked them? Not that _hacking_ anything is required with _EDITH_.

 _'I really need to work on being less gullible,'_ he thought as he swung around the bridge, firing a few explosive webs - how Mr Stark made _that_ feature, he'll have to look into later, when he isn't fighting for his life because that was _wicked cool_ \- at the incoming drones and wanting to internally swear when some of them avoided it and kept going after him. Maybe Tony shouldn't make drones that are so efficient that they can pretty much keep up with Spider-Man.

It was his own fault he was hit, really, because at that exact moment he remembered _Tony will never make anything ever again because he's dead and Peter couldn't breath_ \- So, yeah, he should have kept his head in the game and not let himself get distracted. He grunted as he slammed into the hard pavement of the bridge, now _really_ regretting he was such a good guy that he didn't let himself curse because _that hurt_. Forget getting stitches, bruised or broken ribs were the worst! _'Aunt May is_ so _going to kill me if I survive this.'_ He looked up to see dozens of drones gathering around him while newly arrived ones flew over to take the place of the ones he'd destroyed to keep up the illusion Beck was feeding the world. Getting inside the illusion now that Beck knew he was here was going to be next to impossible, he'll never manage to get a drop on him like that again. If he can even get up, that is. _'I_ so _wish Doctor Strange was here.'_

He had actually sent a text to the sorcerer, a couple of them, to be precise. Though that was while he still thought the Elementals were real and he was asking for advice on how to deal with them since he had remembered dimensional threats were sort of like Doctor Strange's thing but the sorcerer hadn't answered. Now Peter - or a small, selfish, partially childish part - was kind of glad that the Sorcerer Supreme hadn't responded because he felt so _foolish_ after he found out how he'd been doped. No hero should be so easily tricked and he hated that he had messed up this bad. But the bigger, far more reasonable and responsible part of Peter wished the doctor had because, whether the Elementals were real or not, Beck was causing a lot of damage and hurting a lot of people. Perhaps meeting a not so impressed _actual_ sorcerer would teach him a lesson not to play at being hero when he was so far from it. Doctor Strange would _definitely_ teach him a lesson. He was giving the sorcerers a bad name.

Not to mention that the man was ... incredibly _fond_ of Peter, ever since Titan, and had taken to checking up on the boy twice a month since the final battle and Tony's funeral eight months ago. Peter had lost count how many panic attacks or emotional breakdowns the former neurosurgeon had talked him through in just the first few weeks after the funeral. The young hero wasn't sure if Stephen was doing it out of guilt for inevitably sending Tony to his death by choosing the path he set them all on or if he was just worried, but Peter wagered it was a little bit of both. What Peter always found _odd_ whenever the sorcerer tried to console hos grief was that Doctor Strange always said he shouldn't _mourn_ Tony, that it wasn't what he would want. Peter often wondered why the sorcerer never talked about the one and only Iron Man in the past tense, as though the man were still alive. Spider-Man had a theory that the doctor had a connection to Tony in the afterlife, if it even exists, and was always kind of envious about that and wondered if he should turn to magic just so that he can have that connection, too. Only he knew he was being selfish and never confronted Doctor Strange about it. Stephen sort of deserved, perhaps more than anyone, to talk with Mr Stark if that was the case. It was them, ultimately, that had saved _everyone_. Stephen, by making sure Mr Stark will survive and Mr Stark by snapping his fingers even if it meant he was going to die. Peter was honored to have fought beside them both, that he had somehow earned himself in both of those amazing men's hearts but ...

He missed Mr Stark and he really wished Doctor Strange was here, even if that were to somehow reverse time and they had to fight Thanos on Titan all over again. He just wanted to see them again, for the three of them to stand on a battlefield together again ...

 _'If wishes were giant flying space donuts ... '_ He thought wistfully even as the drones all released a powerful sonic blast at him that he was sure was going to destroy his eardrums and quite possibly his brain and center of gravity if it lasted longer than a few seconds, especially with his enhanced hearing, but then he heard a rustle of clothing and he was suddenly no longer in the firing range of the drones. When he opened his eyes, he found himself wrapped up in the all too familiar red Cloak of Levitation and a half laugh, half sob escaped him as it continued dodging around the drones, keeping him out of line of fire as it flew him straight towards a very familiar figure that had a magical shield dome out ready to receive him. He actually jumped out of the Cloak's embrace and flung his arms around Doctor Strange because he now knew everything was going to be _alright_ because someone he knew was there and he knew Doctor Strange will help him and won't let his friends get hurt because he's Doctor Strange and a real badass-

"Whoa, Peter! Easy! Are you okay?" A scarred, shaking hand carded through his hair in a comforting manner even as the drones started firing on the dome, the attacks useless. The magic shield didn't waved for an inch or a second. "You're safe now. I've got you. What's all this?"

"The Elementals are all fake and the Mysterio I told you about was just a fraud who wanted to get the glasses that Mr Stark left for me because they contained EDITH and now he's using EDITH to make up bad guys so he can be the hero and I don't know _why_ he would be willing to hurt all these people but he is and he's after my friends and Mr Fury and Ms Hill because they'll figure him out or already know in the case of me, MJ and Ned and they'll reveal him for the fake he is and he's in the Tower Bridge and I can't _get_ to him because there are _dozens_ of drones there to protect him or the drones making the illusions and I'm running out of time because Happy, MJ and Ned are in the Crown Jewels vault and drones are hunting them as we speak and I'm so _tired_ Doctor Strange but you're here now and you can help me get to EDITH because I don't want to destroy EDITH since she's one of the last things Mr Stark left for me and I don't know what to do but you can help me, right Doctor Strange?"

The sorcerer just blinked a few times at the word vomit Peter had just unleashed before he gave the boy a smile but shook his head. "I can't." And before the boy could complain about how that was a load of _bullshit_ , the man finished with a: "But I know someone who _can_." And then he was opening a portal a good ways away from where the drones were attacking them but whoever came through was just out of sight. Peter could just barely make out the top of the portal, let alone a person but then the same song that Happy had played on the plane on the way over started blaring from some speakers.

Peter stared up at the sorcerer in deep confusion. "But how is Led Zeppelin going to help us in the fight?"

Stephen just looked incredulously at Peter before shaking his head. "Un _fucking_ believable. _Eight months_ I've been trying to lure him back from the Soul Dimension and all it took was for _you_ to mistake AC/DC for Led Zeppelin to get a reaction out of him!? _Why_ do I even _try_? _Why_ am I even _surprised_?"

_Back in black_

_I hit the sack_

_I've been too long I'm glad to be back_

The song was getting louder and closer and Peter figured whoever had come through was also getting closer. He tried to stand on his tiptoes in order to see better, but Stephen did him one better and levitated their dome a bit higher so they were floating about four feet from the ground and what Peter saw made his eyes water.

Dressed in a pristine, top notch black three piece suit with a black dresshirt underneath with black sunglasses, the only splash of color besides skin and slowly graying chocolate hair being the glowing blue of a triangular shape on the chest was a man, strutting through the ruined streets without a single care in the world. Any and all electronic devices with speakers around him lit up and joined in on playing the same song as he passed them, making the rock 'n' roll almost clearly audible even over the sound of drones firing. In fact, nearby _drones_ lost the green light and only glowed the familiar, beloved, famous _blue_ that was the heart of the world's first superhero and Peter wasn't sure if this, too, was one of Beck's sick illusions because _this just couldn't be true_. It had to be a dream or maybe he even died and had gone to heaven or wherever else Mr Stark had gone to after he saved them all at the cost of his own life and now Peter was just joining him and, as the good mentor he always denied being, he was here to ease Peter's transaction from alive to dead status.

_Yes, I'm let loose_

_From the noose_

_That's kept me hanging about_

_I've been looking at the sky_

_'Cause it's getting me high_

And, as if by some miracle, the drones were all slowly stopping their assault the closer the man go, avoiding debris with the practiced ease of both someone who's caused it and who's used and fought around it for years. Even the illusion froze like a live-streaming movie on a bad site, hell even the spinning cursor was there, as the man looked up and up and up to the spectacle by the Tower Bridge, never faltering in his steps. Half of the drones that were still with the green light turned to look at him and suddenly the ones with only the blue were forming a protective formation around this _impossible_ man. They fired before the green ones could, seemingly with an ease and elegance the other drones didn't posses, though that might be because of how they had done it perfectly to the beat of the music that was now only getting louder.

_Forget the hearse 'cause I never die_

Peter laughed in disbelief as the man actually stopped in the middle of all that destruction and thrust his arms to the sides of his body, as though inviting anyone to test the lyrics of the song even as more and more drones came to his side. The ones making the giant holographic illusion were detaching themselves from the formation one by one, showing the world the truth.

_I got nine lives_

_Cat's eyes_

_Abusing every one of them and running wild_

"Typical Tony, making a show of his resurrection for the world to see," Doctor Strange said with a fond smile and an exasperated eye roll, but Peter didn't take his eyes off of the man. Because, yes, ladies and gentlemen, that was, _indeed_ , none other than a should-be-dead-but-obviously- _isn't_ , that and and the only _Tony Stark_ in all of his douchy, arrogant, sarcastic glory, pissing off the villain of the day by being his most annoying self. And Peter Parker, the boy who had admired this man since he was a little kid, couldn't believe his eyes because that was his hero, his idol, his mentor, his friend, his _father figure_ and he was somehow _back from the dead_.

"H- _How_?" The boy barely managed to strangle out and Stephen turned to him, smiling wider, relieved.

"The Infinity Stones are meant for creation, especially creation of life. They don't really have any agendas of their own, but they _do_ have sentience. They can choose to _like_ some people better than others. Tony just so happened to be one of those people. So they spared his life. _Barely_ , mind you. They took back all the damage their radiation caused but they were reluctant to speed up his recovery by giving his soul back. It was up to Tony to come back when he was ready. Question was, whether he'll ever come back, which is why Ms Potts and I agreed to still declare him dead and hold a funeral. We've been waiting for him to wake up for the last eight months. He woke up several hours ago, his body back in top shape as though he'd never been dead to begin with, and babbled something about AC/DC _not_ being Led Zeppelin and sacrilege. We called Pepper and the other Avengers and we were just explaining things when we saw the news and I remembered seeing your text, so here we are. Though I think Tony's going to kill this ... Quentin Beck if he gets his hands on him."

"But how is he overriding the drones?" And Peter immediately facepalmed. Maybe he had a concussion because _how could he ask such a stupid question_? "Right. He's Tony Stark."

"Actually, I think that's the one called JARVIS, that he apparently dragged back from the Soul Dimension with him, shutting EDITH down," the sorcerer shuddered for some unknown reason. "Say what you will but Thanos is _nothing_ compared to that overprotective piece of coding."

Peter, who had only heard about the first _real_ AI that had been the copilot of the Iron Man armor, couldn't help but nod and wince at the same time. He actually pitied Beck a little if that was who he was going up against. From what he'd heard of JARVIS from both Mr Stark and Vision, back in the days before Thanos' attack, JARVIS was merciless. It was where KAREN's Kill Mode first came from, as well as any other of Mr Stark's more lethal traits in his AIs. "Beck's not going to survive this, is he?" And he was surprisingly okay with that. Call him vengeful or petty or downright cruel, but he didn't feel like Beck deserved his sympathy. Not after going after his friends. Not after everything he had done for his 'deserved' place in the spotlight.

"It is rather unlikely. Tony wasn't feeling particularly generous or merciful after his talk with Happy so I can only imagine how pissed off he is if he's letting his AI have at it. Apparently, JARVIS isn't very forgiving towards people who hack Stark technology, so good luck to that Beck guy you were talking about. I don't think you'll be seeing him anytime soon."

Peter thought about Doctor Strange's words even as Mr Stark finally activated his Iron Man armor - the new model Peter had only briefly seen during the final battle - and flew off to confront 'Mysterio'. "I wonder how Mr Fury and Ms Hill will fare against Mr Stark? He looks kind of angry."

"On the scale of Lang to Hulk, I think he's a solid Hank Pym." They both snorted at that, an inside joke only the Avengers - extended or not - were in on. Say what you will, but the first Ant Man was an _extremely_ grumpy and passive-aggressive angry person. Or at least he was most of the time, a lot less so ever since he got his wife back. "And I don't think Fury will be leaving a meeting with him without his ears ringing. KAREN told him about your plans and he's _not happy_ with 'Popeye' for ruining them for you."

"At least he's not Ms Potts levels of angry." They both shuddered at that, having met the formidable woman several times and _knowing_ you are not to mess with her, _ever_.

" _Yet_ ," was all Stephen could say and neither really felt sympathy for Beck when he was thrown out of a window and then caught by the army of drones he had been using to terrorize London. The two watched as Iron Man casually flew out of the broken window and brought him to the ground, his nanites forming cuffs and binding the fake hero just as people tentatively peeked out of their hiding places, pointing at the all too familiar red and gold figure in the sky.

_'Cause I'm back_

_Yes, I'm back_

_Well, I'm back_

_Yes, I'm back_

_Well, I'm back, back_

"Hey, kid. Long time to see," said Tony as he retracted his mask, revealing the EDITH glasses where they belonged, and gasps went through the crowd like a wave, phones and cameras out on the ready, taking pictures and videos of the miraculously alive Iron Man and the still not famous Doctor Strange assisting Spider-Man against the villain Mysterio, live-streaming the return of a missed and mourned hero. "Well?" The billionaire asked as he landed, opening his arms wide like he had during the 'battle' just moments ago. "What are you waiting for? Because, you know, this _is_ a hug-"

_Well, I'm back in black_

Peter let out a strangled laugh and launched himself into his mentor's arms, holding on tightly with as much strength as he dared, even with Mr Stark's armor still on. When those familiar arms wrapped around him, he felt like everything was right in the world and just let the tears he'd been holding back since the 'funeral' flow, desperately holding on, like he feared Tony would disappear if he didn't squeeze hard enough. Judging by the older man's own grip, it was a fear they rightfully shared and neither was willing to let go.

"It's so good to have you back, Mr Stark." He barely got the words out past the lump in his throat, but he managed. He had to say the words to make them a reality, otherwise he might just go mad.

He had to go check on MJ and Ned and Happy. He should probably check on Mr Fury and Ms Hill, too, and be there when Mr Stark unleashes the fury (no pun intended) of an overprotective mentor/father(figure) on them. He had to call May, she must be _so worried_ about him right now, if she was watching all of this. He should also leave before anyone gets to try and figure out his identity or connect his frequent disappearances with Spider-Man sightings, even in Europe. But he can do all that later. After all, Mr Stark was right here and so was Doctor Strange, they will back him up. He'd been without his mentor for so long that he never wanted to let go.

"It's good to be back, Pete. We have _so_ much to discuss, starting with the fact that AC/DC is _not_ Led Zeppelin!"

Mr Stark was here and Peter felt like everything was finally going to be okay.

_Yes, I'm back in black!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last one! It's just a short 'list' of scenarios that could have been real fun.

** 1. **

"Stark gave you a multi-billion dollar AR tactical intelligence system, and the first thing you do with it is try to blow up your friends. I told him, it's clear to me, that you're not ready for this," former SHIELD Director Nick Fury said to Peter with a somewhat 'disappointed' undertone to his words but before either of them could say anything else, the glasses Tony left for Peter flashed a bright blue, drawing their attention to them. "What is that thing doing now?"

Not sure himself, Peter put's on the glasses and they both jump apart when a life-size _very_ realistic hologram of none other than the man whose name they were invoking appeared between them, well beyond having startled them. The hologram of Mr Stark is dressed in one of his old band T-shirts that Peter usually saw on him only in the lab in the last few months before the battle with Thanos, there's some grease on his hands and the very same glasses Peter was now wearing over his eyes. He stood with one hip cocked, eyebrows arched, looking over the rim of his glasses straight at Fury with his arms crossed in an almost perfect imitation of Ms Potts' disapproving stance that she had no doubt used on him _many_ times in the past. The two could only gawked as the hologram Stark glared at Mr Fury.

"I take it that, if this is playing, I am for some reason gone and Popeye is bothering Peter, so I'll skip the introductions as you all know who I am," the hologram even _sounded_ like a perfect copy of Mr Stark and Peter felt his eyes prickle with tears. "I'm guessing that, at some point, you'll try to pull the same dick move on Spider-Man as you did on Iron Man, all those years ago. Make it seem like he's not 'Avengers material' or that he should do 'more'. Like that shitty evaluation you had Agent Romanoff write about me so you can dangle it over my head that I'll never be an 'official' Avenger or something like that. Lemme just stop you _right there_ ," the hologram even out up a stop sign with his hand. "You don't get to play these games with Peter. Consider this your _only_ warning. If I _ever_ catch wind of you trying to manipulate any of _my_ kids, you can be sure I'll retaliate."

Mr Fury actually scoffed, whether he wanted to or not, at the ridiculous thought of a dead man coming to haunt him.

The hologram shocked them by glaring harder, right at Fury. "Don't you scoff at me, Cyclops. I'm Tony _fucking_ Stark, I do whatever the hell I want. I also left it in my will that both Doctor Strange and Professor Hulk are obliged to obliterate anyone who so much as _thinks_ of manipulating or using or endangering my kids. Pepper knows about this, so don't think Stephen or Brucie-bear haven't agreed to this. They're my awesome facial hair bro and science bro respectively. Believe me, they'll respect my dying wish, not to mention that Stephen _likes_ Peter, and if not the good doctor then his magical cloak. He'll be on your ass in a second, Fury. EDITH knows to call him should this repeat. _Even dead, I'm the hero_. Peace out, mother fucker."

And with that, the hologram closed, leaving the two in a stunned silence.

"Should I call for Doctor Strange, Peter?" EDITH asked perhaps a bit too sweetly and Fury actually hightailed it out of sight.

Peter just smiled, eyes blurry with tears.

He really missed Tony _so much_.

**2.**

"Stark choose you. He made you an Avenger. I need that. The _world_ needs that. Maybe Stark was wrong. _Was_ he?"

"Bitch, please!" They both jumped in surprise when none other than Doctor Stephen Strange portal in out of nowhere, looking at Fury with what Peter would say was the _best_ resting bitch-face he'd ever seen, if he were to actually use such vulgar words. "He's been to _space_. He fought _Thanos_. _Twice_. And he's only, what? Sixteen? What have _you_ done to contribute to the fight? Sit on your fat ass and watch with a bag of popcorn? _He_ should be the one calling the shots, _not_ you. Especially as he now has the best surveillance system this side of the universe."

"Doctor Strange? I thought you were unavailable?" The shocked teenager barely managed to ask, surprised by the sorcerer's unexpected visit.

"I am. I deal with otherworldly and dimensional threats-"

"But this _is_ -" Fury cut in but Doctor Strange cut him off as though he'd never uttered a word.

" _Not_ some petty charlatans that are jealous of Tony Stark's achievements and want to take the credit for themselves. You should go back to your trip, Peter, and let these asshats figure out they're being doped on their own. Drop by the Sanctum when you get back!" With a wave from the Cloak of Levitation, the man disappeared back through the portal as he had come, leaving the two to stare into empty air.

Peter cleared his throat awkwardly as he started backing away. "Right, I'm gonna be leaving now. I'll leave it to you to figure that charlatan thing out, bye!" And he swung away before Fury could try and drag him into fixing the mess the man had helped make, wondering what Doctor Strange had meant.

_'It's a good thing I called him personally or who knows what could have happened.'_

**3.**

"What do you think, kid?" Beck smiles as he tries on the EDITH glasses, but before Peter can respond, they light up red and alarms start blaring from their hidden speakers.

"Alert! Unauthorized user! Activating 'Piss off, bitch' protocols. Scanning. Biological match found: Quentin Beck, former Stark Industries employee, deemed unstable and dangerous. Sued for attempted dealing under the table. Threat level: six. Course of action: call the authorities." And before anyone could blink, EDITH had indeed called authorities before zapping Beck with a tranquilizer shot that had him convulsing on the floor. Peter lunged for the glasses when the bartender made to grab him and shot a web outside the bar, swinging himself out. "Informing Director Fury," EDITH told him when he put on the glasses, several blocks away by the time whoever was working with Beck and that bartender could react.

"Thanks, EDITH," he breathed in relief, surveying his surroundings from the roof of a tall building. "What just happened? How do you know Mr Beck? What do you mean by _fired_? Dealing under the table? But he's a superhero from another dimension!"

"I sensed no energy signature to suggest as much, even after comparing data with the ones in the databanks on Thor Odinson, Loki Laufeyson and even Doctor Stephen Strange. Quentin Beck's biochemical energy signature suggests he is a baseline human and his previous record suggest he is dangerous." The AI replied even as she sent a report to Mr Fury and Peter could just sigh sadly.

Well, at least he can go back to his trip if the threat was fake! Thank god fir EDITH! Can you _imagine_ the sort of trouble Beck could have gotten up to if he hadn't been discovered, even though they still don't know how he's involved with this too-realistic-but-apparently-fake monsters.

_'Thanks, Mr Stark. For always looking out for me and keeping me safe.'_

In a dimension beyond this one, a genius engineer smiled.

**4.**

"If you were good enough, then maybe Tony would still be alive!" Peter flinched back from those words almost worse than the illusion that was starting up, of the graveyard and the metal clad hand that sprung up from the ground, only for the illusion to come to a screeching halt when a very distinguishable "Hey!" pierced the air.

There, in the middle of the nightmare, stood none other than Tony Stark, dressed in some fancy suit, glaring daggers at the now visible Beck. Only it was clear the dead man was still very much dead, as he was transparent and glowed a beautiful but familiar orange of the Soul Stone, which left Peter gawking. Beck, on the other hand, looked like he had seen a ghost, backing away in fear and pointing a shaking finger at the genius apparition.

"Y-you!"

"Yeah, me! Leave my kid alone."

"You should be dead!"

Tony huffed, completely unimpressed. "And I am, but I swore to myself I'll haunt the ass of anyone who dares mess with my friends and family and Petey here is my kid so fuck off, Beck, or else I'll become your personal nightmare! And stop trying to steal my tech!" And then he poofed out of existence, leaving a traumatized villain-faking-being-a-hero and a young _true_ hero who took back the EDITH glasses while they waited for Fury to come and lock the bad guy up. When Fury asked him how he did it, Peter refrained from telling the truth, keeping it a secret only he and Tony will share, a new piece of his mentor to hold on to.

All he said was that it was a "Guilty conscience," and he knew Fury didn't believe him, but he didn't care.

As they watched over the scene from afar, the soul of Tony Stark turned to smile at the still guilty-feeling Doctor Strange, who had arranged for him to be able to pop in for a visit every now and then. "Thanks, Doc."

And Stephen could only smile back.

**5.**

"Where's Parker?" Nick Fury asks as he and Maria Hill walk up to Happy and Peter wonders briefly what will happen now as he swings over the Tower Bridge to search for MJ while EDITH shows him this scene fir some reason. He hadn't asked her for the visual, but she keeps on insisting this is important and that he should watch.

"He's with the girl," Happy answers, sounding both nervous and confident and Peter's impressed given Happy's previous insistence that Fury scares him and that he doesn't want to talk to him.

"I need to speak with him," the taller, dark skinned man insists but Happy makes Peter proud by standing his ground.

"He'll call you."

And the teen almost wants to laugh at the incredulous expression that briefly crosses Mr Fury's face at that before he gives a bizarre laugh.

"He'll ca- Well, he better."

"Don't worry," a new _familiar_ voice says and all three whirl around, eyes going as wide as Peter's were when they fell upon the impossible sight of an alive and perfectly fine Tony Stark standing there, leaning a bit on an amused Doctor Stephen Strange for support, smirking with pride and obvious smugness at having managed to catch Mr Fury off guard. "I'll make sure of it. _After_ he goes on his first date with his girl."

" _Tony_?!" The incredulous Happy's shriek was the last thing Peter heard before he slammed into a lamp post since he hadn't been paying attention, quickly scrambling to his feet when he heard MJ calling his name. He'll go cry on his mentor's shoulder later, he has a girl and a date to win!

_+1 (bonus)_

"Hey, there," Talos said as cheerfully as he could when he and Soren later call Fury on his secret mission in space. "I hope your mission is going well. We gave the glasses to Parker, about a week ago, like you said. And, uh, it was really touching, you know? Really, really quite touching."

"Talos!" Soren hissed at him and Talos sighed, resigned.

"And, uh, you know, shortly after that, everything kind of went off the rails, and so we need you to come back. Because everyone kept asking me where the Avengers are, and I don't know what to say. So you're lucky ... Oh, before you go!" He hurries on when Fury makes to end the call, rushing it all out so he doesn't get cut off. "Tony Stark's alive and hanging out with the wizard! Okay, great talk, bye!" And he quickly cuts the call, sighing in relief. "Well, that went well."

And Soren just facepalms.

Meanwhile, somewhere in space ...

"That crazy son of a bitch!" Fury laughs, delighted, before turning to his spaceship companions. "Alright, people, we got work to do! Where's my socks? Can't meet with Earth's best defender back from the dead without my socks!"

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which is your favorite one? XD

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think?


End file.
